


Love’s Not An Evil Thing

by velvetjinx



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bigotry & Prejudice, Biting, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Masturbation, Mentions of Blood, Minor Violence, Oral Sex, Rimming, Serious Injuries, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Daddy Steve Rogers, Surgery, Switching, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, Vampire Bucky Barnes, big dick bucky barnes, mentions of canon characters dying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 05:14:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19166533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: Billionaire Steve Rogers is on the lookout for an adventure, and so finds himself in a vampire club. But the bite is much more than he bargained for—as is the vampire who bites him. When Bucky comes to Steve with a proposition, Steve will have to decide if he’s willing to take a risk on everything... including his heart.





	Love’s Not An Evil Thing

**Author's Note:**

> Oh gosh so much to say! This was based on [this tweet by thatsmysecret](https://twitter.com/thatsmysecret5/status/1134089657329889280?s=21) which I saw and immediately went VAMPIRE BUCKY AND BILLIONAIRE SUGARDADDY STEVE and then this fic basically consumed me. 
> 
> BIG THANK YOUS go to dixons_mama for the beta, Evie for reading through/cheerleading the whole way and screaming at me about various bits, witchylurker and clearlylostmymind for the early read through and suggestions, Grav and Eli and Sami for generally being awesome and encouraging, and everyone who showed interest in reading this. You're all amazing.
> 
> Title from Bob Dylan's song Sugar Baby.

The club was dark, with even darker corners where people went to do who knew what. Steve took a sip of his blood-red cocktail and smiled to himself. Maybe he’d find what he was looking for here. He was thirty three, and it was time to have some real fun. He had never been one for hookups, but this was different. This was an adventure. 

“Come here often?” 

Steve glanced to his left at the man who had spoken. He looked to be in his early twenties, but the pallor of his skin and wolfish quality to his smile implied that he was older. Much older. 

“First time,” Steve replied, and the man looked delighted. 

“Mmm, fresh blood. We like that, here.” The man didn’t have a drink in front of him. Steve swallowed hard. 

“Do _you_ like it?” he asked boldly, and the man gave a surprised laugh. 

“Forward, aren’t you? I do, actually. And I supply certain services, for a price, if you’re interested.”

Steve looked into the man’s shining, hooded eyes, and swallowed his nerves. “I am.”

“Then come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly,” the man said, smirking, and got up from his seat. Steve followed him to one of the booths, where the shadows were deeper, and slid onto the seat. The man sat beside him, nuzzling his neck just below his beard and inhaling deeply. “Your pulse is racing,” he murmured against Steve’s skin, cold lips in contrast to Steve’s heat. “Don’t be afraid.” 

“Money up front?” Steve asked, and the man laughed. 

“Yeah, please. For just a bite, you’re talking two hundred dollars. For me to finish off any… situation that arises from your reaction to being bitten, you’re talking five hundred.”

Steve counted out the five hundred and handed it to the man. “I don’t even know your name.”

“Does it make a difference?” Steve was silent, and the man smiled wide, his teeth suddenly looking sharper. “You can call me Bucky.”

“Nice to meet you, Bucky. I’m Steve.”

Bucky leaned in and pressed a light kiss to Steve’s lips. “Nice to meet you, Steve. You ready?”

Steve nodded, fingers gripping the seat hard enough to ache. Bucky leaned in, laving the side of Steve’s neck with his tongue, then there was sharp pain as Bucky sank his teeth into Steve’s neck. Steve gasped, then bit his lip and moaned. It was surprisingly pleasurable, and he could feel his cock filling. 

Before he could even consider doing something about it, Bucky’s hand was on him, massaging his cock through his pants. Bucky undid the fly and slid his hand inside Steve’s underwear, stroking him just enough to make Steve’s eyes damn near roll back in his head. 

Bucky had pulled his teeth out carefully, and was now licking around the wound. Probably to catch any drops of blood that he’d missed, Steve thought muzzily. 

After a few moments, Bucky pulled back, grinning. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes bright. Steve could feel his balls tightening as his pleasure mounted. Bucky looked at Steve consideringly for a few moments, then smashed their mouths together in a deep kiss. Steve could taste the metallic tang of his own blood in Bucky’s mouth and that was all it took as he came hard, moaning. 

He sat back, panting and trying to catch his breath, and Bucky smiled wickedly. He lifted his hand up so Steve could see his own come glistening in the low light, then licked it all off in the most sensual gesture that Steve had ever seen. 

“You’re going to have to wear a scarf for a few days until that heals,” Bucky said, and Steve nodded blearily. Bucky laughed. “Do you think you’ll be coming back?”

“Definitely,” Steve said hoarsely, languidly tucking himself back into his pants. “But how will I find you?”

Bucky looked surprised. “If it’s me you want, just ask for me at the bar.” He kissed Steve softly. “Go get a drink at the bar before you go anywhere. You need to keep your fluids up.”

Steve did as he was told, and didn’t see Bucky again before he left. But the whole time he felt as though there was someone watching him. 

***

The best thing about being a billionaire who owned his own business was that you could take the occasional morning off without feeling too guilty. Well, he didn’t own it alone—he and Tony Stark were partners. Their families had been old, wealthy friends—same country club and all that—and when Steve and Tony had been old enough they decided to use their inheritances to start their own tech business. Tony was the tech guy, while Steve was the business mind. Not that Steve was a slouch with tech, or that Tony didn’t have some business sense. It just so happened that they were each simply better in their own roles. 

Steve wasn’t exactly hungover, but he was a little more tired that morning than he would have expected. He wondered if it was perhaps to do with being bitten the previous evening. While he was certain that Bucky hadn’t taken that much blood—certainly not enough to be dangerous—it had perhaps been just enough to weaken him slightly.

Tony’s reply to his text was short—“Sure, see you later,”—and Steve snuggled back under the covers. Perhaps it would be advisable not to go back to the bar on a weeknight. 

A full glass of water and another couple of hours of sleep gave Steve a bit more energy, and as he got ready to go out to brunch, he checked his neck in the bathroom mirror. It was slightly bruised, with two small pinpricks on either side. Frowning, he decided to cover it in a little gauze. It was low on his neck and should be covered by his shirt, but he didn’t want to take any chances. 

It ached slightly when he pressed on it, so he vowed to himself to leave it alone. But he couldn’t help running his fingers over the pinpricks, thinking about how it had felt last night when Bucky had sunk his teeth into his neck…

His cock twitched and began to fill as he touched the wound, and he groaned, bracing himself against the sink as he spat in his hand and stroked himself. He couldn’t take his eyes off the bruise on his neck, thinking about Bucky’s hand on him, Bucky’s _teeth_ on him as he guzzled Steve’s blood down. The intimacy of the bite was something that Steve hadn’t been expecting—so much more intimate than sex alone. He felt halfway in love with the vampire already. It didn’t take long for Steve to come, gritting out Bucky’s name through his teeth. He washed his hands, rinsing off the spunk that had landed in the sink, and sighed. 

Maybe he would go back that night. 

***

“You look like shit, Rogers.”

“Charming as always, Stark,” Steve snarked back, taking a sip of his coffee. “I’m fine. Just a bit tired.”

Tony narrowed his eyes. “Don’t tell me you went out last night. Steven Grant Rogers, out on a school night. Who’d have thought?”

“It happens!” Steve protested.

“Name one other time you’ve gone out when you had work the next day. Go on. I’ll wait.”

Steve wracked his brains, but came up with nothing and scowled. “Fine, whatever. I just needed to blow off some steam.”

“Hey, far be it for me to judge,” Tony said, holding up his hands in surrender. “You’re okay, though, right? I shouldn’t be worried?”

Steve couldn’t help but laugh, clapping Tony on the shoulder. “Nah. It’s all good.”

“Okay.” Tony opened his briefcase. “So I think we should really look at the numbers for the battery project…”

Steve tried to focus as Tony went over some facts and figures, and before long he was giving his own input, getting into the swing of it. 

They worked until seven, then Pepper—Tony’s wife and general organizer of his entire life—knocked on the door.

“Hey, Steve, sorry to steal Tony away but we have dinner reservations at eight and I’d like to be on time for them for once.”

Tony closed the file with a guilty look. “We’ll pick this up tomorrow?”

Steve nodded. “Sure.”

He packed up his briefcase and followed Tony and Pepper out to the elevator. “See you tomorrow, Rogers!” Tony called as he and Pepper walked towards their floor of the parking garage. Steve was on the next one down, and as he climbed onto his motorcycle he couldn’t help but smile. It felt like an extension of him—driving cars in New York traffic was awful, but a motorcycle? So much more convenient. 

On arriving home to his spacious Brooklyn apartment, Steve yawned and stretched, then clapped his hands twice. “Lights to fifty percent.” The lights dimmed, and he smiled. That was better. 

Deciding what to have for dinner was difficult, but in the end he settled on steak with fries and mixed vegetables. It was ready quickly, and he sat at the breakfast bar, chewing carefully. Tony tried calling him a few times during his meal, but Steve ignored him. Tony could wait. Food could not. 

He had been tempted by an open bottle of wine, but decided instead to just drink water with his meal. Hydrating well before going back to that bar was not a bad idea. Not that he was definitely going back, he reasoned with himself. It would just be good to be prepared in case he did end up there.

Oh, who was he kidding. The lure of the bar—of Bucky, and the intimacy of the bite—was too strong. He would definitely be going. 

***

When he arrived at the bar, however, he felt overcome with nerves. What if Bucky thought he was stalking him? That would be a bad idea, to give a vampire such an idea. 

Instead of sitting at the bar, Steve bought a drink and sat in the shadows, watching and waiting. Sure enough, after only about ten minutes, he saw Bucky, looking even more handsome than he’d remembered, chatting with someone at the bar. He felt a pit of jealousy open in his gut, and tried to remind himself that Bucky wasn’t his—they had only met once. But the bite was so intimate, so much more so even than Bucky’s hand on his cock, that Steve couldn’t help but feel a little possessive. 

When Bucky led the stranger to one of the booths, Steve downed his drink and left. Maybe he’d come back tomorrow night. Maybe he’d feel more resigned to it then.

***

Work was busy the next day. They were nearing a deadline on an important project, and so he and Tony spent the entire day in one of the conference rooms, only remembering lunch when Pepper came in with sandwiches and stood over them until they ate. The focus of work helped with his doubts a little, and he knew that he would find himself back at the bar that night. Besides, Bucky had said that Steve could ask for him. That had to be a good sign. 

He strode into the bar with a little more confidence than the night before, and went straight to the bar, ordering a gin and tonic. When the red headed bartender came back with his drink, he leaned across the bar. 

“Is Bucky in tonight?”

The redhead’s eyebrow flew up. “What’s your business with Bucky?” Her teeth had gone sharp in the dim light, and Steve shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 

“He offers certain services. I would like to purchase those services.”

The redhead’s eyebrow climbed even higher. “And how did you know to ask for Bucky?”

“He told me to,” Steve explained. 

“Well, isn’t that something.” She took out her phone and typed for a few moments before looking up at Steve. “He should be down soon,”

“Thanks,” Steve said sipping his drink, and the woman nodded, going to serve another patron. 

He was almost finished his drink, despite how slowly he was sipping, by the time Bucky found him. 

“Steve!” Bucky said, leaning in to speak in Steve’s ear over the music. “I didn’t expect you back so soon. How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” Steve replied, grinning. “Guess I just couldn’t stay away.”

“It can become addictive,” Bucky said with a frown. “You really need to guard against that.”

Steve could see how it might. “I just really enjoyed myself the other night, and was hoping for a repeat, but maybe with extras?”

“Oh? What kinds of extras?”

Steve looked at his hands, before clearing his throat. “I thought maybe this time I could touch you too.”

Bucky was silent for a few moments. “I don't really allow that,” he said at length. “This is for your pleasure, not mine. I get mine from the blood.”

“Oh.” Steve blushed, embarrassed. “I'm sorry, I didn't… I'll go.”

“You don't have to go,” Bucky said gently. “If you want me to bite you and get you off I can still do that.”

Steve was torn. On the one hand, he was desperate to reciprocate, to see what Bucky's cock would feel like in his hand. On the other, if he wasn't able to, did it feel right? Was it too much temptation?

Maybe one last time. “Sure,” Steve said heavily. “Let's do it.”

Bucky smiled at him, and took him by the hand, leading him to one of the shadowed booths. Instead of going straight for his neck, Bucky kissed him softly, then harder and deeper, until Steve could feel Bucky's teeth sharp against his lips, and his own cock beginning to strain against his jeans as he laid the five hundred dollars on the table. 

“You really are tempting,” Bucky murmured against Steve's lips, trailing a hand down Steve's chest and pressing against his cock. Steve's hips bucked at the pressure, and Bucky grinned, sharp teeth glinting in the low light. “I think I'm going to bite your elbow tonight. Roll your sleeve up.”

Steve began to roll up the sleeve on his left arm, the one nearest Bucky, but Bucky shook his head. “No, the other one.”

Steve shrugged and did as he was told. Bucky pressed a soft kiss to Steve's lips, then leaned down across Steve's body, laving his tongue over the inner elbow. The hand not holding Steve's arm he used to massage Steve's cock, undoing the fly and sliding his hand inside to rub at the hard flesh. 

At the first sting of the bite, Steve couldn't help the wanton moan that escaped him. Bucky moaned back in response, spreading precome around the head of Steve's cock and twisting his hand under the frenulum. Steve couldn't help but gasp, thrusting his hips slightly. 

It was over all too soon. Bucky gave a particularly enthusiastic slurp on his arm and Steve was coming for what seemed like forever, cock pulsing until he pulled away a little from Bucky's hand, oversensitive. 

Bucky was licking at his arm now, teeth no longer piercing skin, and he dropped a kiss onto the wound when he was done. Again, he licked Steve's come from his fingers, grinning wickedly. 

“Will you come back again?” Bucky asked, but Steve shook his head, in part to try and stop it spinning with desire. 

“I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, you're amazing, but that's kinda the problem.”

Steve shrugged and tried to slide out from the booth. But Bucky was too strong and held him in place. 

“What do you mean?”

Steve frowned, trying to organize his thoughts enough to speak. “You've already said you don't let the people you bite reciprocate, and that feels weird for me. Not to mention that you're right, this could become pretty addictive. I don't wanna end up begging for your attention. Plus…” Steve sighed, looking at his hands. “Plus I would get to a point where I wouldn't want to share you.”

Bucky let him go in his surprise, and Steve hightailed it out of there. So much for that. He considered maybe looking around for something similar—another bar like that one, perhaps—but quickly talked himself out of it. That adventure, though fun, was apparently meant to be short lived. 

***

It was the following night, an hour after sunset, when Steve’s entry buzzer rang. 

“Hello?”

“ _Steve? It’s Bucky._ ”

That was a surprise. “Uh. Hey.”

“ _Would you mind letting me up? I’ve got things I maybe should have said._ ”

Steve frowned. On the one hand, inviting a vampire into his apartment was perhaps not a good idea. On the other, Bucky intrigued him, and he couldn’t help but wonder what he had to say. 

Sighing, he pressed the button to allow Bucky access, and waited for the rap at the door. When he opened it, Bucky was standing outside, looking a little nervous. 

“Uh. Can I come in?” 

Steve hesitated, then shrugged. “Sure. Come in.” 

Bucky stepped through the entryway, smiling shyly. “Thank you for inviting me in. Mortals don’t usually… anyway. Thanks.”

“What do you want?” Steve asked, scrubbing a tired hand over his face.

“I wanted to… were you serious, when you said that you wouldn’t want to share me?”

Steve glanced up in surprise. That wouldn’t have been his first guess of what Bucky was going to say. “Uh, yeah. I guess. I mean, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you… doing what you do to me is kinda intimate, and it’s not easy to think of you doing that to other people.”

Bucky shrugged. “It pays the bills. It’s my job, you know? I’m basically just an undead sex worker. I have rent and bills to pay, and I gotta get my money somehow. I’ve done night shift work before, but sometimes in the summer I have to arrive late and leave early, and they don’t tend to like that.”

Steve nodded. “I get that. Well, thanks for coming by to explain.”

“No problem.” Bucky looked around, and his eyes went wide. Steve noticed for the first time that they were a beautiful soft blue-gray. “Wow, this is… a really great place. You got roommates?”

“No,” Steve replied, wondering how wise he was admitting to a vampire that he lived alone. “Just me. How did you find me, anyway?”

“One of the bartenders—my roommate—was worried about me and followed you. Sorry.” Bucky narrowed his eyes. “You must be pretty loaded. What do you do?”

“I co-own a tech company. With Tony Stark.”

“Holy shit! You’re Steve Rogers? The billionaire Steve Rogers?”

Bucky looked so gleeful that Steve couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, that’s me. You gonna hold that against me?”

Bucky pursed his lips. “Well, in that case, I have a proposition for you.”

“Oh?” Steve asked, intrigued. 

“You clearly don’t want for ready cash, and my cash flow has been sketchy of late. There are so many vampires working that bar now that getting clients is becoming increasingly competitive. You want me exclusively? You can have me. For a price.”

Steve’s eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. “You want me to pay you ridiculous amounts of money to bite me occasionally?”

“Not just bite you,” Bucky replied, his tone a promise. “Look, you said the reciprocity thing was an issue for you, and that you wouldn’t want to share me. Well, this solves both those problems. You could be my—and I can’t stress how much I hate this phrase—sugar daddy.”

Steve frowned. “Look, it’s a nice idea, but I’m not really in the market for that. I mean, having you all to myself would be great, but knowing that you’re only here because I pay you would make me feel a little weird.”

Bucky laughed, taking a step towards Steve. “You think I’d have made this offer to anyone else? Even your business partner? You might not have noticed, but you’re really, really hot, and frankly the thought of biting you while your dick is in me makes me harder than I’ve been in a long time. Even before, getting you off while I bit you, I was hard. But there are rules in that bar. If we were to do this, though, we could make our own rules.”

The idea was tempting, and Steve bit his lip. “But I’d still be paying you.”

Bucky shrugged. “Pocket money. Enough to get by and pay my bills.”

Steve shook his head. “No. If we do this, you move in. You can have your own room and everything, but if I’m gonna have a sugar baby vampire at my beck and call you might as well live here.”

“Wow,” Bucky said, laughing. “I’m not exactly gonna say no. My place is kinda a dump compared to this. But I get my own space, you say, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Steve replied. “No pressure to sleep in my room with me, and we can set up one of the rooms to make sure that you don’t get any sunlight in. And another thing—if I ask you to bite me or whatever, and you don’t want to, you say so. Consent is kinda a big deal to me, and I don’t want you to feel under any kind of obligation to have sex with me if I’m horny but you don’t want to.”

Bucky grinned, holding out his hand. “I think you have yourself a deal, Steve.”

Steve shook the proffered hand, shivering at the cool touch of Bucky’s skin against his. “So, uh, when do you want to move in?”

“Tonight feels like as good a time as any. Natasha and Clint—my roommates—won’t be thrilled, but they’ll find someone else, no problem. It’s a fairly cheap room in Brooklyn. They’ll be fine.”

“You need a hand moving your stuff?” Steve asked. 

Bucky shook his head. “Nah. I don’t have that much anyway. I take it you’ve got residents’ parking?”

Steve nodded, and told Bucky where he could park. “So you have a car?”

“Yeah. It’s not much, but it gets me around. So, uh, I guess I’ll see you soon?”

Steve nodded, and Bucky left with a wave. Steve sat heavily on the sofa, burying his face in his hands. He’d just agreed to be a vampire’s sugar daddy, which he was pretty sure was a misnomer since sugar daddies were supposed to be older than their sugar babies. At least Bucky looked younger, no matter how much older he was.

***

Bucky returned about an hour and a half later, just as Steve was getting himself ready for bed. Steve showed him to the second biggest room, and Bucky dropped all his stuff on the floor before looking around. “Wow, this is amazing. Those curtains aren’t very thick, though,” he added, frowning.

“Yeah, I have thicker ones in my room. Blackouts. We can get those for your room tomorrow. Tonight you can have my room and I’ll sleep in here, if you want.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Steve. I can sleep in your bed with you tonight. Besides,” he said, grinning wickedly and looking Steve up and down, “I plan on having fun with you tonight.”

“Oh?” Steve asked, swallowing, his cock already starting to harden in his boxers. He was only wearing those and a thin t-shirt, which didn’t hide much. Bucky smirked.

“Mmm, I see you like that idea.” Bucky strode up to him and kissed him deeply, and Steve moaned into the kiss. “I think I’m gonna ride that big dick of yours tonight, bite you and make you come inside me while I come all over you. I can let myself go tonight, and the bite always turns me on.”

“Fuck, yeah, Bucky,” Steve gasped, and Bucky grinned. 

“So, your bedroom?”

Steve led him down the corridor to his own room, and made sure to close both blinds and curtains before stripping off. Bucky did the same, biting his lip when Steve was naked. 

“Fuck, Steve. You’re even hotter than I thought you would be. Look how pretty that dick is, Jesus. Can’t wait to get it inside me.”

Bucky finished stripping, and Steve’s mouth went dry. He didn’t really know how it worked with vampires in terms of physique upkeep, but Bucky was lithely muscled, and his cock was gorgeous—big, hard, and thick, and dripping at the slit. Steve wanted to touch him. 

He strode forward, taking Bucky in hand and kissing him, and Bucky returned the favor. It felt so good, Steve couldn’t help the moan that escaped him. 

“Bed?” Bucky murmured against Steve’s lips, and Steve nodded, grabbing Bucky’s hand and leading him over to the California king bed. Bucky lay on his back, legs spread, and Steve couldn’t help himself—he had to taste. Coating his fingers with lube, he began to play with Bucky’s asshole as he leaned down, sucking that fat dick into his mouth. Precome burst over his tongue as he sucked, pressing a finger inside Bucky’s tight hole. 

“Oh, fuck, yeah, Steve. Fuck, your mouth feels so good on my cock, like you were born to suck it.”

Steve pushed another finger inside, pressing up until he found the spot that made Bucky yelp and his hips come off the bed. 

“Ohhhhh my god, yeah, fuck, Steve!” 

Steve kept going, drinking in the delicious noises that Bucky was making. He was even more responsive than Steve could have dreamed. 

At length, he pulled his fingers out, sitting up and reaching for a condom. Bucky stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

“Don’t need it. Vampire, remember?”

Steve’s eyes widened, but nodded, sitting with his back against the headboard and coating his cock in lube. Bucky grinned, straddling Steve’s hips and holding his cock steady as he sank slowly down onto it until skin met skin. 

“Ohhhh, fuck, Steve,” Bucky moaned. “Oh my god, you feel so good inside me, fuck, fuck, oh my god.”

Bucky was tight around him, but surprisingly cool, and Steve nearly bit through his lip trying to hold still until Bucky adjusted. But then Bucky was moving, lifting himself up and dropping himself back down on Steve’s cock, and Steve gently held his hips, letting Bucky set the pace. Bucky leaned down to kiss him deeply. 

“Another night we can take things slow, but tonight I just want to sink my teeth into you and get off,” Bucky murmured. “That cool with you?”

Steve nodded. “Fuck, yeah, Bucky. Whatever you want.”

Bucky grinned and leaned forward, nuzzling Steve’s neck. Then came the sting of the bite, and Steve moaned, bringing a hand up to stroke Bucky’s big cock. The feel of Bucky sucking his blood, along with the movement of Bucky around his cock, and Steve knew he wasn’t gonna last. 

“Fuck, Bucky, I’m gonna come,” he gasped out, and Bucky moaned against his throat, moving his hips faster. Steve’s orgasm was building fast, and he rubbed his thumb under the frenulum of Bucky’s cock before squeezing the head. Bucky’s ass clenched reflexively around him, and that was it. As Bucky gave a strong suck on his neck, Steve came hard, crying out. He was vaguely aware of Bucky licking around the wound, and then Bucky was kissing him, the metallic taste of blood coating his tongue. Steve went back to stroking him, thrusting his softening cock inside Bucky despite the overstimulation, and Bucky moaned, coming hard over Steve’s stomach and chest. 

Steve was panting hard, like he’d run a race, but Bucky was silent, occasionally dropping soft kisses on Steve’s lips. Steve remembered that Bucky didn’t really need to breathe, and smiled against his mouth. 

“What?” Bucky asked.

Steve shook his head. “That was incredible.”

“Yeah.” Bucky kissed him again, before lifting himself off of Steve, grinning. “Fuck, love feeling your come drip down my thighs.”

“We’re both pretty messy,” Steve responded with a laugh, swiping his finger through some of the come on his chest and sucking it into his mouth. It tasted different—not quite as bitter as usual—and Bucky flopped down beside him. 

“You gonna shower?”

Steve shook his head, yawning. “Tomorrow. Right now, I gotta sleep. Work tomorrow.”

“You need to drink something first. Replenish your fluids.”

Steve grabbed the bottle of water from by his bed and took a long drink. “Better?”

“Much.” 

Steve lay down again, unsure if Bucky was a cuddler. Bucky immediately lay his head on Steve’s chest, arm slung around Steve’s waist. Steve kissed the top of his head, and closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall asleep. 

***

When he awoke the following morning, although it was pitch dark in the bedroom Steve knew that it would be light outside. Bucky was so fast asleep beside him that Steve wondered if he was unconscious. He wasn’t breathing, but that was only to be expected. He didn’t move at all when Steve got up, nor when Steve got back from his shower and dressed. A sudden thought crossed Steve’s mind— _sleeping the sleep of the dead_ —but he squashed it quickly. 

When he got to work, Tony took one look at him and laughed. “You got laid!”

Steve blushed. “How the hell do you do that?”

“So come on, who was she? She? He?”

Steve closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, don’t judge me, okay? You can’t judge me, and you can’t tell anyone. Except Pepper. Okay? It’s nobody’s business.”

Tony frowned. “Sounds serious. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Great, actually. I’ve got a…” Steve grimaced. “I’ve found myself a sugar baby.”

“Um. Okay?” Tony looked wary. Steve couldn’t blame him. 

“His name is Bucky, and we met at a club.”

“And how much younger than you is he?”

“He’s older, actually. A, um. A lot older.”

Tony looked confused for a moment, before his eyes widened. “Steve. Tell me you’re not talking about a vampire.”

“Uh…”

“Jesus, Steve. Have you invited him into your apartment?”

“Well, yeah. He’s living there now.”

“Oh my god. You’re out of your mind. The long hours have driven you insane. Steve, this is not a good idea. Tell me he’s not biting you.” Steve stayed silent. “God, Steve. You know that can become addictive? And that some vampires take advantage of that until their victims are too weak to fight back, and drain them?”

Steve sighed. “That barely ever happens, Tony. Most of them are just trying to make their way in the world. And Bucky is… he’s special. There’s something about him that I can’t explain. All I know is that I want this, more than I’ve wanted anything for a long time.”

Tony was silent for a long moment. “If he hurts you, I’ll kill him myself.”

“He’s not going to. But thanks.” Steve smiled. “Now can we focus? We’ve still got a lot to do before this new battery is ready and the deadline is looming.”

Tony nodded, and they set to work. Steve tried to ignore the worried glances that Tony kept shooting him, knowing that it was only because Tony cared. 

***

They made it to lunch time before Tony brought it up again. “So it’s just sex, right?”

Steve shrugged. “I guess. I mean, the sex is amazing. But there’s something so intimate about the bite. I can’t explain it. I know why some people get addicted. It’s like nothing else.”

Tony frowned. “Just be careful? Please? Don’t get addicted and for fuck’s sake don’t fall in love with him. You know that’s never a good idea. It’s not like you two can have a fairytale ending and live happily ever after. He’s immortal. You’re gonna get older.”

“I know all that, Tony,” Steve retorted, glaring. “You think I don’t know all that already? I wish he was a normal human guy that I could just fall in love with. But I’ll take what I can get with him. He’s worth it.”

“Jesus, Steve. You’re in deep already. You’re sure you’re not under his thrall?”

Steve couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Yes, Tony, I’m sure. This is all me. No thrall.”

There was a knock at the door, and their head of finance, Sam, came in. “Hey, guys. Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all,” Steve replied before Tony could get a word in. “What’s up?”

“I’ve got those figures you wanted for the battery project…” 

Steve tried to concentrate on what Sam was saying, but his mind kept drifting back to Bucky. He’d swing by the store on his way home to buy blackout curtains and blinds for Bucky’s bedroom. 

“You listening, Rogers?” Sam’s voice cut through Steve’s reverie and he blinked. 

“Sorry, what was that?”

Sam rolled his eyes and repeated the figures. Steve and Sam went way back—they’d served together in Afghanistan. Steve had been on the ground when Sam’s wingman and partner Riley had been shot out of the sky. He’d been there for Sam ever since. Definitely wasn’t a charity thing, though—Sam was a genius at numbers, and when Steve had been honorably discharged and he and Tony were looking for someone to do the books, Sam had been the obvious choice for Steve. 

He took notes and made some suggestions, and Sam left, looking satisfied. Tony poked Steve on the side. 

“You thinking about your undead sugarbaby?” he asked, and Steve glared. 

“His name is _Bucky_. And I was just thinking that I’ll need to get some stuff for his room on the way home so I’ll need to leave before the stores close.”

“Hmm,” was all Tony said, but Steve could feel the weight of his disapproval and bit back a sigh. It looked like Tony wasn’t going to come round to this any time soon. 

***

By the time he got home, laden with various large bags, the sun was starting to set. He changed the curtains first, then went to find his toolkit. Steve shrugged out of his suit jacket before making a start on putting up the blinds. 

He was just finishing up when Bucky cleared his throat from the doorway, and Steve nearly jumped out of his skin. “Jesus, Bucky, warn a guy!”

“Sorry,” Bucky replied, yawning. “You look very, uh, manly.”

Steve looked down at the hammer in his hand and blushed. “Thanks. So you really sleep all day, huh?”

Bucky shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, I’m usually up all night, plus I get naturally lethargic when the sun is up. It’s not like I can go out in it, yanno?”

“No, I know, I just wondered if. Well. At the weekends when I’m not working if you would be able to stay awake to watch crappy TV with me during the day.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have anything better to do at the weekends?”

“If you don’t want to, I get it…” Steve said hurriedly, and Bucky held up his hands. 

“I didn’t say that. It could be fun sometimes. I guess I was just surprised.”

“I’m not just looking for sex, here,” Steve said, frowning. “It would be nice to have some, I don’t know, companionship too.” He shrugged. “I guess I thought it would be nice if, since we’re living together, we could spend some time together too that didn’t involve us being naked and/or getting bit.”

Bucky laughed. “Fair point. Yeah, sure. This Saturday. You, me, and Netflix. Sound good?”

Steve nodded. “So, uh. Your blinds and curtains are done so I’m gonna make some dinner. You don’t eat… food, do you?”

Bucky started at Steve for a moment, before bursting into more fits of laughter. “No, and I don’t drink… wine, either.”

Steve rolled his eyes, blushing, but couldn’t help laughing along. “Yeah, yeah. I didn’t know! There are so many things said about vampires that it’s kinda difficult to know which to believe.”

“Ask away.”

“Well, I mean, I don’t wanna play 20 questions. But it’s good to know I can ask if there’s anything I want to know.” He paused. “Okay, here’s one. How old are you?”

Bucky smirked. “Twenty four. Or three hundred and eighty two. Take your pick, whichever makes you feel less uncomfortable.”

“You were born in the seventeenth century?”

Bucky nodded. “Yeah. And I gotta tell you, this is my favorite century so far. I mean, smartphones are amazing. People are cleaner, which makes it way more pleasant to feed, FYI. Plus we don’t have to hide any more. Or at least, not in the same way. I’m not likely to tell just any mortal where I sleep, but mortals know we exist now, and that’s pretty cool. Mostly because it makes feeding without having to kill easier. You come to us now. You have no idea how amazing that is.”

“Huh.”

“Also, plague is gross. I never want to witness that ever again.” Bucky wrinkled his nose in disgust, making Steve laugh. “I’m serious. The stench! Ugh. And that’s the other thing! Plumbing! Sanitation! Streets that aren’t just covered in shit! It’s a revelation.”

Steve put his toolbox away and went through to the kitchen, Bucky following close behind. “So you were twenty four when you were turned?”

Bucky looked at the floor, nodding. “Yeah. I was working in a tavern and there was a guy—a vampire—stopped in. He was ethereally beautiful, and lavished attention on me. He tipped really well. He came back the next night, and the next. Each time he brought me a gift. A gold chain. An ornate mother-of-pearl mirror to give to my mother. A jeweled coin purse. Then one night, as I was leaving the tavern, he was waiting for me. He kissed me, then bit me. Drained me, almost, then told me that I had a choice. I could die, or drink from him and live forever.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve said quietly. 

Bucky shrugged. “I was young and scared, and I didn’t want to die, so I chose to drink. What I didn’t realize was that it meant never seeing my family again. Not my parents, or my younger sister, Becca. The man—the vampire, Andreas—took me to his home. I was nearly unconscious. Dying, of course. When I came to, I was so thirsty. He had brought a woman from the streets for me to drink from. The first taste of human blood… there’s nothing quite like it. It’s every beautiful sensation and emotion all at once. You said once that the bite was too intimate. I can tell you—you have no idea.”

Steve was silent for a moment. “So how long did you stay with him?”

“The best part of a century. He wasn’t cruel; quite the contrary. Everything that was his was mine. And he taught me so much. That was just how it was done in those days if you wanted a companion.”

“What happened to him?”

“Oh, he’s still about. I see him from time to time. We parted ways amicably enough, but I wanted to find myself.” Bucky laughed. “Silly, really. He was very rich, and although he gave me a great deal when I left, it’s amazing how quickly money runs out. And then of course in the 1920s mortals found out about us, and the clubs opened. It was much easier to make a living. I met my old roommates—Natasha and Clint—and we’ve been friends ever since. Those two are thick as thieves, though. They were made by the same vampire, a vampire called Nicholas. By all accounts he and Clint rescued Natasha when she was an assassin working for the Czar of Russia. She fell out of favor and went on the run, nearly froze to death in one of their harshest winters. She was already half dead when they found her, to hear Clint tell it.”

“Wow.” Steve wanted to reach out to Bucky, to hug him, perhaps, but wasn’t sure how welcome that would be. Instead, he turned his attention to the pasta he was cooking. “So you guys have been friends for a while.”

“Yeah, about eighty years? The longer you’re alive the less meaning time has. You learn to just enjoy it without worrying.”

“Sounds nice,” Steve said, slightly wistfully. 

“It’s not a bad life. And it definitely just got better.” Bucky grinned at him, and Steve couldn’t help but grin back. Yeah. Life was definitely good. 

***

Since they hadn’t quite got around to it the night before, once he had finished his dinner Steve gave Bucky a full tour of the apartment. Bucky seemed appreciative of the home that Steve had made for himself, and especially of the color scheme.

“Colors are different when you’re a vampire,” Bucky explained. “I mean, everything is, but colors are what you notice first. Everything is more vivid, more alive, than mortals can imagine.” He paused in front of a large nude-but-tasteful portrait in the dining room. “God, look at this piece. The artist has captured the anatomy perfectly, and the expression on her face is exquisite.”

“Thanks,” Steve said dryly, and Bucky gaped at him. It was such a human gesture that Steve couldn’t help but laugh.

“Wait. You didn’t paint this. Did you?”

“Guilty,” Steve said with a shrug. “I went to Yale, did a double major in business and art. Graduated at twenty one, a little lost, and ended up in the military for five years. Did a couple of tours of Afghanistan, then got out and started up RogArk Tech that year with Tony. We’d always planned to do some kind of business venture together, and he came to me with some ideas.”

They wandered back into the living room, and Bucky pulled Steve down on the sofa next to him. “So how old were you when you made your first million?”

“We set up the company a month after my twenty seventh birthday. I’d made my first million four months later.”

Bucky whistled. “Holy shit. And you and Tony, you’ve never been an item?”

“Nah,” Steve said, shaking his head. “We’ve been friends since I was a kid. He’s a little older—six years—but he never minded me hanging around him and his friends. And we’d always talk about starting our own business when we’d grown up. We saw what our parents had done individually, and figured we could do better if we teamed up.”

“And since then you’ve, what, quadrupled your parents’ fortune?”

“Oh, at least,” Steve replied, laughing. “His parents passed two years before mine, and as soon as we started up RogArk we sold our parents’ companies and invested the money back into RogArk. Neither of us could have anticipated how popular our cellphones were going to be. Or the luxury items. Tony’s a total tech genius, though. Guy did a doctorate in electrical engineering and theoretical physics. He knows his stuff.”

“Does he know about me?”

Steve paused for a moment. “He does.”

“I’m guessing he doesn’t approve?”

Huffing frustratedly, Steve laid his head back against the sofa. “Tony’s pretty protective of me. Like I say, there’s only six years between us, but I think he sees himself in the protective big brother role, you know?”

Bucky nodded thoughtfully. “I can imagine so. But he sounds like a great guy, and an amazing friend. Like he’ll have your back no matter what.”

“Yeah, he would,” Steve said, smiling softly. “I think when I was in the military it was tough for him, knowing that something could happen to me and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Aside from Pepper, I’m the closest thing to family he’s got left, and I know that he’s the closest thing I’ve got.”

“Yeah. Natasha and Clint are more like my family these days. When you live on top of each other for nearly a century it gets that way, you know?”

Steve nodded, then paused. “You and Andreas… were you lovers?”

Bucky smiled. “Yeah. And I did love him, but I was never as in love with him as he was with me. In the end, I think that was why I left. I needed to find someone I could love with everything in me.”

“Yeah, I think that’s fair. Did you ever find that person?”

“Not yet.” Bucky was looking at his hands, frowning. “But I live in hope.”

Steve squashed an irrational thought that it could be him, and stretched. “Wanna watch a movie before bed? I mean, if you’re up for biting me.”

Bucky shook his head. “I’m not biting you three nights in a row. Two is pushing it, but I really wanted you last night.”

“But don’t you need to feed?” Steve asked, confused.

Bucky shook his head. “Not as much as people think. The older you get, the less you need to feed. I can get by with a little every few days. The younger ones, they need to feed every day, a little and often. Otherwise they might go into a hunger frenzy and drain their unsuspecting victim.”

“Does that happen?” Steve asked, aghast.

“I’ve seen it happen before, yeah,” Bucky replied, grimacing. “It’s not pretty. But most vampires who turn someone know the risks and do what they can to mitigate it.”

“Have you ever made anyone into a vampire?”

Bucky looked down at his hands again. “Once,” he whispered. “I turned a young man not long after I’d left Andreas. I thought that it might be love, but he was angry about being turned. He’d been an angry human too. He refused to feed for a day, then when I finally convinced him, as soon as he tasted her…” Bucky trailed off, a haunted look in his eyes. 

“Hunger frenzy?”

Bucky nodded. “The room was a mess. He hit her artery, and the room looked like a slaughterhouse. We were out walking the following night, and when we got back to the apartment there were locals waiting—humans—with pitchforks and torches. They surrounded us. I managed to escape—just—but he wasn’t so lucky.” He paused for a second, before whispering so quietly that Steve had to strain to hear him. “I can still hear his screams ringing in my ears. He burned, held in place by the sharp prongs of one of the forks. All that was left was his bones.”

“I’m so sorry,” Steve said quietly. 

Bucky shrugged. “Thanks. It was a long time ago. But I swore then that I wouldn’t turn another unless they really, truly wanted it. I don’t want to go through that again.”

“I don’t blame you. It sounds completely traumatic.” Steve cocked his head. “So you haven’t had a companion since? You’ve been alone almost two hundred years?”

“Not totally alone. Like I say, I’ve had friends. But someone to love? No.”

Steve’s heart clenched. He’d known Bucky less than a week, and already he’d have given anything to be that person. But Bucky was looking for someone like him—an immortal companion—and Steve wasn’t sure if that was what he wanted for himself. 

Instead of voicing his thoughts, Steve patted the sofa next to him. “Movie? I promise not to drool on you if I fall asleep through it.”

Bucky laughed in surprise, and moved over to sit next to Steve. He snuggled into Steve’s side, and Steve kissed the top of his head before grabbing the remote.

***

They ended up watching _Legally Blonde_ because Bucky hadn’t seen it—a fact which Steve considered a tragedy. Bucky laughed at all the right moments, and frowned when someone was mean to Elle, which made Steve smile. When it was over, it was already nearly eleven, and Steve yawned. 

“Well, I’d better get to bed. G’night, Bucky.”

“You know, we can have sex without biting,” Bucky said, eyebrow raised. 

Steve smirked. 

They somehow made it to the bedroom without tripping over the clothing they tore off each other, and Steve, naked, crawled onto the bed on all fours. 

“You think you can fuck me good enough that I won’t even think about getting bit?” Steve teased, and Bucky smacked his ass hard enough to bruise. 

“I think fucking you with my big cock is exactly what you need to shut you up. If you’re thinking about anything but my cock inside of you then I’ll be surprised.”

Bucky grabbed the lube off the side, but let it fall by Steve’s knee. Instead of fingering him, Bucky spread Steve’s asscheeks and blew over his hole, down to his balls. 

“Oh, fuuuuuuck,” Steve groaned as Bucky began to suck and nip around his hole, down his taint, never once putting his mouth exactly where Steve wanted it. “Fuck, come on, Bucky, just put your tongue in my ass!”

“So eager,” Bucky murmured, rubbing across Steve’s hole with his thumb as he gave Steve’s asscheek a particularly sharp nip. “So impatient. You feel what you do to me?” Bucky’s cock rubbed against Steve’s hip, hot and hard and huge and dripping at the slit, precome spreading all over Steve’s skin. “You feel how hard you get me? How much you turn me on? You’re so fucking perfect, Steve. So fucking hot.”

Finally, Bucky began to tongue around Steve’s asshole, licking and slurping around the puckered flesh and driving Steve wild. 

“You taste like soap,” Bucky said ponderously. “Did you get home and wash just in case?”

“Yeah,” Steve confessed. “Wanted to prepare in case. Was gonna beg to get your dick in me tonight.”

“Mmm, that sounds nice. Maybe I’ll make you beg for it later.” Before Steve could reply, Bucky began tonguing at his hole again, thrusting his tongue in a little just to tease.

“Oh my god, fuck, Bucky, just eat my ass already,” Steve whined against the pillow, and Bucky took pity on him, thrusting his tongue in deep. Steve lost track of time as Bucky ate his ass out, his cock feeling harder than it had ever been in his life. He could feel it leaking onto the sheet below, and reached underneath himself to stroke teasingly. 

At length, Bucky pulled back, and Steve heard him open the lube, then the slick sound of it being squeezed out. A few moments later, Bucky thrust two fingers inside Steve, making him howl. 

“Oh, fuck, Steve, you’re so tight inside, baby. So tight and hot, can’t wait to get my dick inside you,” Bucky told him, and Steve nodded. 

“Yeah, Bucky. Want that huge cock in me, want you to fuck me with it until I scream.”

Bucky was rubbing his hard cock against Steve’s asscheek as he fingered him, and to have it so close but not inside him was making Steve crazy. Bucky had four fingers inside him now, and while the thought of having Bucky’s whole fist in there was definitely something he wanted to explore at a later time, right now he just wanted Bucky’s big cock. 

“Bucky, that’s enough, just fuck me!” Steve panted, and Bucky slowly pulled his fingers out. 

“Your wish is my command,” he said, and Steve could hear the grin in his voice. 

A few moments more, and then the slick head of Bucky’s cock was pressing against Steve’s hole, slowly pushing inside. Steve bit down on his arm as he was filled, the blunt pressure just on the bearable side of painful. By the time Bucky’s hips met Steve’s ass, Steve’s hand were fisting in the sheets and he was gasping for breath, trying to force his body to adjust to Bucky’s huge cock inside of him, stretching his muscles wide. 

“Ohhhhh my god,” Steve groaned. “Fuck, you’re huge.”

“Is it too much?” Bucky sounded worried, but Steve shook his head.

“No, just… just gimme a minute, yeah? Feels so full but so fucking good, you have no idea.”

“I have some idea,” Bucky retorted, laughing. “You’re not exactly small yourself.”

“Yeah, but. Fuuuuuuck.” Steve could feel his muscles starting to relax a little, and took a few deep breaths. “Okay, you can move, but… slowly?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Bucky began to thrust slowly, pulling out only a little before pushing back inside. After a few thrusts he changed the angle of his hips, and Steve’s vision nearly whited out as Bucky’s cock began to hit his prostate on every movement. A high pitched whine escaped him, and Bucky let out a short laugh. 

“That good?”

“Fuck, oh my god, Bucky, right there, just like that,” Steve babbled. “Oh fuck, fuck me harder, faster, feels so good.”

Bucky did as he was told, and Steve couldn’t help but cry out on every thrust of Bucky’s cock inside him. He was beyond speech, already feeling his balls start to tighten and his pleasure rising. 

“You close?” Bucky asked breathlessly, and Steve nodded.

“Think… fuck, I think I can come like this,” he managed. 

“Oh really? Without touching yourself? Fuck that would be so hot. Making you come because of my dick inside you. You’re such a slut for it, look at you, fuck, listen to you, the noises you’re making while I fuck you. I want you to come for me just like this, baby. Keep those hands where I can see ‘em and come for me like this.”

“Oh, fuck, don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop,” Steve groaned. He was so fucking close… Then Bucky gave a hard thrust right against his prostate and Steve damn near screamed, coming hard, his cock pulsing and spurting spunk over the sheets. 

“Fuck that was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen in my life, fuck, Steve, I’m gonna come, Steve, _Steve_!” Bucky’s hips stilled, cock buried deep inside, then gave a few erratic thrusts as the aftershocks passed through him. Steve noted blearily that Bucky’s hands were gripping his hips hard enough to leave bruises, but the pain was completely overwhelmed by the feeling of bliss. 

Bucky pulled out slowly, but Steve still winced at the achey sting, as well as the feel of being so empty after being so full. 

“Ohhhh, fuck, Steve,” Bucky said quietly. “Fuck, I can see my come dripping out your ass and it’s so fucking hot.”

It did feel a little weird, the wetness trickling down from his hole to his thighs. He collapsed to one side, avoiding the wet spot beneath him, and grabbed some tissues, trying in vain to get the worst of the mess off the sheets. Bucky lay down beside him, kissing him, and Steve gave up on trying to clean up, throwing the tissue in the general direction of the wastebasket and losing himself in the kiss. 

“I think you might have turned me into a size queen,” Steve murmured against Bucky’s lips, and Bucky laughed, breath huffing against Steve’s skin. 

“Good,” was his reply, but before Steve could ask him what he meant, they were kissing again, and Steve forgot why it was important. “You should sleep.”

“You gonna stay?”

Bucky smiled. “Do you want me to stay?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll stay.”

Steve smiled, placing another chaste kiss on Bucky’s lips, then snuggled into him, asleep almost as soon as he’d closed his eyes.

***

When he arrived at work the next morning, he could see Tony looking for evidence of bite marks, and rolled his eyes. 

“Tony. You’re not going to find any fresh bites. He said he wasn’t gonna bite me three nights in a row, and even two had been pushing it. He’s a good guy.”

“He’s a _vampire_ ,” Tony bit out. “He isn’t human!”

“Doesn’t mean he’s evil. Doesn’t mean he isn’t a good person.”

Steve sat, wincing slightly, and Tony narrowed his eyes. “Did he do something to you?”

Steve pursed his lips, trying not to laugh. “You could say that.” Before Tony could start ranting, he smirked. “His dick is enormous. If you’d been fucked by that you’d be sitting funny too.”

Tony narrowed his eyes. “You’re hilarious, Rogers. Really funny. We’re not done talking about this, but we really need to get this project finalized today.”

Steve nodded, and opened his briefcase, ready to start the day.

They ended up working later even than usual, and Steve sent a quick message to Bucky around six— _Working late. See you when I get home._ —so he wouldn’t worry. 

It was nearly nine when Wanda, the intern, knocked on the door. “Um, excuse me, Mr Rogers? There’s a gentleman here to see you.”

Steve frowned, confused—he wouldn’t have made any appointments that late at night—but then Wanda stepped to the side, and in walked Bucky, carrying a picnic basket. 

Tony shot to his feet, and Steve stood quickly beside him, hand on Tony’s arm as a warning. 

“Thank you, Wanda,” he said, smiling, and she left, still looking a little befuddled. “Bucky? Uh, not that it isn’t nice to see you, but why are you here?”

“Because I got the feeling that neither of you would have ordered dinner in for yourselves, so I brought you something to eat.” Bucky’s tone was almost over-confident, but there was something in his eyes that spoke of an undertone of nerves. 

Steve grinned. “That is so unbelievably thoughtful, Bucky. Thanks.” He strode up to Bucky, kissing him softly. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Bucky replied, giving him a lopsided smile. 

“Bucky, this is Tony, my partner in crime. Tony, this is Bucky, my…”

“Your pet vampire,” Tony interrupted him, sneering. “Yes, I guessed.”

Bucky looked as though he’d been slapped, and Steve glared at Tony. “You _will_ apologize.”

Tony ignored him, instead stalking up to Bucky. “If you hurt him in any way, I will kill you. I will find out where you’re hiding and I’ll make sure your curtains disappear before dawn, do you hear me?”

Bucky closed his eyes briefly, before meeting Tony’s gaze. “I understand. But you understand this. I am never going to hurt Steve. Ever. I’m not like that, and even if I was I wouldn’t risk hurting someone like Steve. Do you think I’d be that stupid? Besides, I… I like him. I like him a lot. And you don’t hurt people you like.”

Steve felt something warm in his chest at Bucky’s confession, but turned to Tony, exasperated. “See? Now chill out.”

Tony sat at the table, back to them, with bad grace. 

“I should go,” Bucky murmured. “It was a bad idea to come here.”

Steve shook his head, kissing Bucky softly. “It was an amazingly thoughtful idea, and I appreciate it more than you will ever know. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until you walked in with that basket. You’re welcome to join us for a while? We’re almost done.”

“Nah,” Bucky said, shaking his head and trying to smile. “I’ll wait for you at home.”

Steve nodded, squeezing Bucky’s fingers before letting him leave. As soon as the door was closed, however, he whirled around to face Tony.

“What the fuck was that?”

“What the fuck was… did you think that was remotely appropriate?”

“Yes! He did something really thoughtful. He knew we’d probably be hungry so he brought us something to eat. Although after the way you behaved towards him I don’t think I’ll share. You were an asshole, Tony, and you will apologize to Bucky next time you see him.”

“Like fuck. What did I say that wasn’t true?”

“Well, for one thing, he’s not my ‘pet’. He’s his own person. Yeah, I’m paying for him to live in luxury, but I genuinely care about him. He’s… he’s my companion, and I like him a lot. If you can’t get over this then we’re gonna have a problem.”

“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Tony asked, gaping. “You’re thinking about asking him to turn you.”

“That thought hadn’t actually even crossed my mind,” Steve growled. “I’m enjoying living with someone I get on with and who I have an amazing connection with, both in and out the bedroom. You need to back the fuck off.”

Tony’s expression softened as he looked at Steve with curiosity. “You really do like him, don’t you?”

Steve nodded. “I like him a lot. I told you, he’s a good guy. He knew you weren’t totally okay with him—I told him as much last night—and he’s basically brought an olive branch, and braved your disapproval to do something nice for me.”

Steve opened the basket, and began to pull out the contents. There was a lot of cheese, some olives, some crackers and some fresh sliced bread. There were spicy peppers stuffed with cream cheese, and chopped veg with hummus. There were also a few bottles of soda, different kinds, and Steve felt himself melt at how thoughtful Bucky had been. There was even some cold meat, and a bag of Hershey’s Kisses at the bottom. 

Tony, who had been silent while Steve unpacked the basket of food, cleared his throat. “Uh. I may have been a little hasty with regards to your. Um. Sugar baby.”

“Bucky. His name is Bucky.”

“Bucky, then. I’m sorry. This _was_ a nice gesture.” Tony sighed. “Fine, I’ll give him a chance. But I’m serious about killing him if he hurts you.”

“Deal.”

They shook hands, and Tony gestured towards the food. “Well, dish up! Don’t hog everything.”

***

When they had eaten their fill and drank half the soda provided, Steve felt a lot more alert and awake. He had been flagging, truth be told, for about half an hour before Bucky had shown up. Now he worked with a renewed excitement. Even Tony seemed a lot more enthusiastic. 

They managed to get the project done and signed off by eleven pm, and as Steve packed the remainder of their impromptu picnic back into the basket, Tony clapped him on the shoulder.

“Good day’s work, there! Feels good to finally have this new project ready to go to production.” 

“Yeah.”

“Look, Steve…” Steve looked up at Tony, who was squirming slightly. “I really am sorry. If you say Bucky is a good guy, then I trust your judgement. I just worry about you, you know? You’re too nice sometimes, and I’m always afraid people will take advantage of that.”

Steve laughed. “Do you honestly think I would let that happen? There’s nice and then there’s being a doormat, and I am no one’s doormat. You really think I’d let someone walk all over me just because they had a nice dick?”

Tony’s lips twitched. “Maybe not. Okay. I’ll trust you on this, okay? And… tell Bucky I’m really sorry. I’d like to get to know him better. Maybe invite him over for an evening with me and Pepper some time.”

“That would be awesome.” Steve grinned as he picked up his briefcase and the basket. “Have a good weekend, and try not to get into too much trouble?”

“I could say the same to you,” Tony said with a laugh as they headed towards the elevator. 

When Steve got home, the place was dark. He called Bucky’s name, but got no reply. Worried, he checked every room, finally finding Bucky, curled up and asleep, in his own room. Steve sat on the bed, softly sweeping Bucky’s short curls from his forehead. 

Bucky stirred, and looked blearily up at Steve. “You’re home.”

“Yeah. You okay?”

Bucky shrugged, and leaned up on his elbow. “We should probably talk. If this isn’t working for you… I don’t want to cause a rift between you and your best friend. If you want me to, I’ll go.”

“No!” Steve said quickly, holding his hands up. “Tony… Tony’s really sorry. I talked to him, told him he was being a jackass. He wants to make it up to you and invited us both to spend an evening with him and Pepper.”

“Wow.” Bucky’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s… unexpected.”

“Yeah. So do you want to?”

Bucky gave him a lopsided smile. “Sure. Why not.”

Steve couldn’t help it—he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Bucky’s lips. “Thank you. You don’t have to, I don’t want you to feel like you have to, but I think it would be good for them to get to know you, especially if you’re going to be around for a while.”

“Do you want me to stick around?”

Steve huffed. “Yeah, I really do.”

Bucky leaned in and kissed him, then pulled back, smirking. “So what do you say we christen my bed?”

Steve laughed. “Will you bite me tonight?”

“Do you want me to?”

Steve nodded. “Want you to bite me while you fuck me. Want to feel that huge dick inside me while you drink from me.”

Bucky groaned, and dragged Steve down onto the bed.

***

Since the next day was Saturday, Steve had nowhere to be. He still woke early, head pillowed on Bucky’s chest, and lay there for a while, marveling at the silence under his ear where there would normally be the deep ‘ka-THUD’ of a heartbeat. It was strange, but Steve didn’t mind, until he had a sudden thought that he would get older, but Bucky would stay exactly the same. Not that Bucky would necessarily hang around that long… But that thought made him frown, and he ignored it. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it.

He thought about what Tony had said the day before—about getting Bucky to turn him. The thought of spending centuries with Bucky was appealing, he had to admit, but there would be a lot of things he’d have to give up. Steve wasn’t sure if he was ready for that. 

Bucky looked even younger in sleep, his features soft and curls tumbling about his head in an unruly fashion. He was breathtaking, and Steve’s own heart thudded a little harder at the sight of him. 

“Your pulse is doing weird things,” Bucky murmured sleepily, and Steve nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Sorry?”

Bucky gave a tired laugh. “Don’t be sorry. Wanna tell me why?”

“Just thinking,” Steve hedged. 

“Fair enough.” Bucky blinked blearily down at him. “God, I haven’t been awake at this time of day for a while. Feels weird.”

“You don’t have to spend the day awake with me,” Steve said quickly. “I mean, I don’t mind.”

Bucky tilted Steve’s chin up with his finger and gave him a lingering kiss. “Spending the day in bed with you watching crap TV sounds exactly like what I want to do.” He stretched his limbs out languidly. “Besides, if I keep sleeping most of the night and all day I’m gonna get lazy. And since I’d be bored being awake when you’re asleep, I might as well be up in the day at the weekend.”

“What about during the week?”

Bucky shrugged. “I usually video call Natasha and Clint for a while when you’re sleeping. Mostly I’ve been sleeping too, though.”

“You don’t have to do that for my sake…” Steve began, and Bucky cut him off with another kiss.

“Maybe I like sleeping next to you.”

“Oh.” Steve couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, and Bucky poked him on the arm.

“So what are we gonna start with?”

***

They spent the day watching ridiculous movies and TV shows, pausing only for Steve to take food and bathroom breaks. Bucky proved to have a dry sense of humor, occasionally providing snide commentary that made Steve laugh loudly. 

It was nearing dinner time, and Steve was contemplating ordering pizza. 

“Just no garlic,” Bucky said, and Steve’s eyes widened. 

“I thought the garlic thing was a myth?”

“It is,” Bucky replied. “I just won’t want to kiss you if you reek of garlic.”

“Okay,” Steve agreed hurriedly. “No garlic. Lots of kisses. Got it.”

“Mmm, kisses,” Bucky murmured, doing just that. 

It was a full twenty minutes before Steve could tear himself away to order his pizza.

***

“So do you have a surname, or are all vampires like Madonna?” Steve asked later that day.

Bucky laughed. “No, I have a surname. My full name is James Buchanan Barnes. My mother was Winifred Buchanan, and my father was George Barnes.”

“Wait, Bucky isn’t your real name?”

Bucky gave him a long look. “Did you really think it was? No, I always hated the name James, and when I was little I would introduce myself as ‘Mr Bucky Barnes’ because I couldn’t say the name ‘Buchanan’. It stuck.”

“Makes sense.” Steve yawned, stretching, before snuggling down into Bucky’s side. “That pizza was great but now I just want to go into a carb coma.”

Bucky shrugged. “I could nap, if that’s what you want to do.”

Steve smiled softly and kissed him. “Perfect,” he said, not sure if he was talking about the idea or Bucky himself.

***

When Monday rolled around, Steve sauntered into the office unable to stop himself from smiling. He and Bucky had spent the weekend relaxing and having sex in equal measures, and Steve knew he was in real danger of falling for Bucky if he’d let himself. As soon as he was in his own office, he picked up the phone to call his bank. He managed to get an appointment for later that day, and put it in his calendar so no one would decide to set up a last minute meeting with him for that time. 

There was plenty to do—things had built up while he and Tony had been so focused on the battery project—and he spent most of the day working his way through emails. 

The appointment at the bank only took thirty minutes. Fortunately, since he was a billionaire, they were more than happy to oblige his every whim, so it made things a little easier to get what he wanted. 

When he arrived home, the sun was still up but Bucky was already awake, sitting in Steve’s bedroom and flicking through Netflix. He smiled when Steve came in, and put his face up for a kiss.

“You’re home nice and early today,” Bucky observed, and Steve nodded. 

“Yeah, we’re done with that project so I can get back to working regular hours for a while.” He loosened his tie and flopped onto the bed beside Bucky, who immediately snuggled into his side, head on Steve’s chest. “I should think about dinner soon, but this is nice.”

Bucky kissed Steve’s chest through his shirt. “Can you believe we’ve only known each other just over a week?”

“Not really,” Steve replied, laughing. “I kinda feel like I’ve known you forever.”

“Same,” Bucky replied, surprising Steve. 

“Forever for you is a long time.”

Bucky looked up at Steve with a soft smile. “Yeah.” He put his head back down on Steve’s chest, and Steve tightened his arms around him. He wanted to ask Bucky what that meant, if it meant that he was beginning to feel something as deep for Steve as he was feeling for Bucky, but he was too afraid of the answer. Instead, he kissed Bucky’s curls, before relaxing back onto the pillows. 

***

It took three days, but when Steve got home that Thursday, there was a letter in the mail for Bucky. Grinning, he took it in to where Bucky was lying in Steve’s bedroom, still asleep. Steve sat next to him, unable to look and not touch, and ran his fingers gently through Bucky’s curls. Bucky stirred slowly, blinking his eyes open blearily to look up at Steve. 

“Hey,” he said, voice sleep-rough. “What time is it?”

“Nearly sunset,” Steve replied softly. “I have something for you.”

Bucky sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Oh?”

Steve handed him the envelope. “It wasn’t as hard to get as I thought it would be without your date of birth.”

Bucky looked at him curiously, before tearing open the envelope and gaping at the contents. “Steve, what…?”

“I figured it was about time I made good on the whole ‘sugardaddy’ thing,” Steve said with a laugh. “Your limit is five hundred grand a month, and that should pretty much do you for whatever you need.”

Bucky frowned. “Steve, that’s way too much.”

“No, it’s not. It’s partially for emergencies. And I know you can’t go on traditional shopping sprees since most stores don’t open at night, but the internet is so helpful for stuff like that, right?”

Bucky was still frowning, and Steve wondered if he’d misstepped. “I don’t know, Steve…”

“Look, it’s not like you’re earning any money while you’re here, right? So if you saw something you liked, you wouldn’t be able to buy it, and that’s because you’re living here and not working the bar. Well, now you can. I’m not trying to buy you liking me here. I think you already do. What I’m doing is just… funding you and any hobbies you have, since you can’t do it yourself. Fair?”

“I guess,” Bucky muttered. “It just still feels like a lot.”

“And believe me, if you’re blowing five hundred grand every month I’ll take it off you,” Steve said, laughing. “But if there was some kind of emergency—don’t ask me what, I don’t know—I wanted to make sure you were covered.”

Bucky let out a huff. “Okay. I’ll take your word for it. Thank you.”

Steve smiled, and kissed him. “You’re welcome. Now I’m gonna grab some dinner, and then we’re gonna watch ‘The Fifth Element’, because the fact that you haven’t seen it is a crime against nature.”

He left the room on a wave of Bucky’s laughter, smiling to himself. Bucky’s reluctance to take the credit card had made him lightheaded and happy, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to examine why.

***

Someone at the bank had talked. 

Steve was furious, but what could he do? He couldn’t just point fingers at everyone who worked there, and since he didn’t know exactly who it was who had talked to the reporter, he couldn’t exactly sue the whole bank. Much as he was tempted to. 

“ _BILLIONAIRE STEVE ROGERS FUNDING A VAMPIRE’S HEDONISTIC LIFESTYLE_ ”, the headline screamed. Steve had pitched a fit when he’d seen it.

“So hedonistic, mostly watching Netflix and chilling at my apartment,” Steve spat, and Tony clapped him on the shoulder.

“You know they’ll put anything in the headlines to sell papers,” he said soothingly, but Steve was not to be soothed. 

“That doesn’t give them the right to print lies,” he seethed. “If Bucky was going out partying, biting someone different every night, that would be one thing. But he doesn’t! He sleeps until I get home, then we watch movies together. And at night while I’m asleep he video calls friends when they’re not working. I’m so pissed right now.”

“But there’s nothing you can do,” Tony said, his reasonable tone grating on Steve’s nerves. “You could set them straight, but say what? ‘No, he’s not got a hedonistic lifestyle but he is my live-in sugarbaby?’ How do you think that sounds?”

Steve sighed. “I guess. But it’s not really like that.”

“According to you or to Bucky?” Steve was silent, and Tony frowned. “I know you seem to think this is more of a real relationship, but have you talked about it? You and he made a deal, has he said that he doesn’t want that any more?”

“No, I guess not,” Steve replied stiffly. “But he was really reluctant to take the credit card!”

“That doesn’t mean anything, Steve. You know it doesn’t. You’re looking for signs that aren’t there. You say he’s a great guy, and I believe you, but he’s still using you on some level for money and comfort. I’m aware this isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s what you need to hear. Until he says otherwise, that is the extent of your relationship.”

“But…”

“No buts, Steve. You know I’m right. If he hasn’t said anything then that’s how it is. He may see you as a friend as well as a sugardaddy, but this isn’t exactly a relationship of equals while you’re bankrolling him for sex.”

“It sounds so sordid when you put it like that,” Steve muttered. He knew Tony was right and he hated it.

“Yeah, well, it is what it is. What matters is, are you happy with it?”

Steve paused, then sighed. “I guess. I really do like him, you know? And maybe I’ll just take him any way I can get him.”

“Hmm.” Tony grimaced. “That’s not really healthy, you know. You should probably tell him how you feel. If he doesn’t feel the same, then you need to end it before you’re in too deep and you end up getting hurt. And no, I don’t mean physically,” Tony said quickly as Steve opened his mouth to protest. “I’m talking emotionally. I don’t think he’d do it deliberately, but if he doesn’t feel the same and you end up falling for him then you will get hurt.”

“Maybe I’m willing to take that risk,” Steve said quietly.

“Then on your own head be it, my friend,” Tony said darkly, before changing the subject to the progress of the new battery through production. 

Steve was glad of the subject change, and threw himself into his work. 

That evening, just as he was about to leave the office, Wanda ran into his office with only a cursory knock. “Mr Rogers, sir, there’s an issue with the production line! Someone set one of the machines incorrectly and there’s an emergency meeting in Mr Stark’s office in five minutes!”

Cursing, Steve dropped his jacket and grabbed his briefcase, running to Tony’s office as quickly as he could. 

It turned out that they had managed to lose half a million dollars worth of materials in the two hours the machine had been malfunctioning. The discussion on how to mitigate their losses took two hours, and the sky was already dark by the time Steve got back home. As he parked his motorcycle, a familiar redheaded woman stepped out of the shadows. 

“Steve Rogers?”

“Who’s asking?” he asked cautiously. 

She smiled, sharp teeth catching in the half light of the parking garage. “I thought we might have a little conversation about your new roommate.”

“What business is it of yours?”

The redhead laughed. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Natasha.”

Steve gave her a relieved smile. “Bucky’s friend, right? What’s up?”

“I saw the papers.” Huh. That wasn’t what Steve had been expecting. “I wanna know what you plan on doing about it.”

Steve shrugged. “Not much I can do about it right now. If this was a really relationship then I’d probably make a statement. Since it’s not, my hands are tied.”

Natasha narrowed her eyes. “Who says it’s not?”

“Well… Bucky. It was his idea, this whole thing.”

“Ugh, boys are useless,” Natasha muttered. “Fine. What I meant, though, was: are you planning on kicking him out because of those headlines?”

“What? No!” Steve replied, appalled. “I wouldn’t… I’m not that much of a dick.”

“Good to know.” Natasha eyed him thoughtfully. “Okay. If you hurt him, though, I’ll find you.”

“Duly noted,” Steve said, swallowing hard. 

She nodded at him. “Oh, and don’t tell him about this little meeting. I don’t want him to think I’m interfering.”

“Oh-kay?” But she was already gone, melting into the shadows as if she’d never been there. 

Steve shook his head and headed towards the elevator. Weird. 

When he got inside, Bucky was standing in the living room, bag in hand. Steve’s heart broke slightly, and he strode up to Bucky, pulling him in for a kiss. 

“Go unpack. You’re not going anywhere,” he murmured against Bucky’s lips. 

“But, Steve, your image…”

“I don’t give a shit. Now go unpack.” When Bucky stood there, looking unsure, Steve sighed. “We’re making our own rules, remember? Fuck what they think they know. I’d rather you were here and we spent our weekends making out and watching trashy TV than you left because some stupid journos tried to sell papers by writing shit about us.”

Bucky looked at Steve for a long moment, then huffed. “Okay.” He kissed Steve quickly and took his bag through to his room, while Steve collapsed on the sofa, head in hands. Tony was wrong. He wasn’t going to be in danger if he got in too deep and fell for Bucky. 

It was already too late.

***

As they snuggled together in bed that night, lazing in post-coital bliss, Bucky touched the bite mark on Steve’s neck gently. 

“I think I was maybe a little rough tonight,” he said, his tone an apology, but Steve just pulled him into a deep kiss.

“I don’t care.”

“You should. You don’t want it to scar.” Bucky frowned at it. “I should get something to put on it.”

Steve shook his head. “Leave it. It’s fine.”

“But…”

“Bucky. I said it’s fine.” Steve tried to keep his tone soft, but even so it came out a little harsher than he had intended, and Bucky drew his hand back quickly. 

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Honestly, don’t worry about it. I don’t need anything on it, it’s just been a hell of a day and I need to sleep. Yeah?”

Bucky snuggled back down into Steve’s side. “Okay.” 

“Hey, I was thinking,” Steve added, “maybe we could get blackout blinds for the whole apartment? Then you wouldn’t be stuck in the bedroom all day if you wanted to stay awake. You could get up and use the other rooms too.”

Bucky looked up at him, eyes wide. “Steve… Steve you don’t have to do that for me. Honestly, I’m fine with things the way they are.”

“But what about at weekends when you’re awake with me, and I go through to make food? Wouldn’t you prefer to be able to come through and talk to me while I do that rather than just being stuck in here, or your own room?”

“Well, I mean, it would be nice,” Bucky replied hesitantly. “But, Steve, I don’t know if I’m worth you doing this.”

Steve growled low in his throat. “You are more than worth it, okay? I don’t want you to feel trapped in a single room of your own home.”

“If it’s something you want to do, I’m not going to stop you, but…” Bucky bit his lip. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Steve kissed the messy top of Bucky’s head. “Now. Sleep.” 

“Okay.” 

Steve yawned, his arms tightening slightly around Bucky, before allowing himself to fall into a deep slumber.

***

The headlines were a three day wonder, and soon they seemed to be forgotten. Steve was out grocery shopping that Saturday when he noticed some particularly unkempt youths who appeared to be following him. He ducked into a coffee shop, and waited until they were out of sight, before leaving into the other direction. He was almost back at the apartment when there was the sound of running footsteps behind him, and before he could turn he was pushed to the ground. 

As the youths surrounded him, kicking him so he couldn’t even get up and defend himself, he heard them yelling something about being a vampire’s whore, and then he knew nothing else as a steel boot connected with his head and everything went black.

***

“Steve?”

Steve blinked his eyes open, his vision swimming and his head aching. “Tony?”

“Jesus, kid, you had us worried for a minute there.” Tony was gripping his hand tight enough that it almost hurt. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Got followed by some guys. Called me a vampire’s whore, then… I don’t know what happened.”

“What happened is they beat you half to death.” Tony frowned as Steve tried to focus on his face. “It was touch and go for a while. You had a lot of internal bleeding. Fractured ribs, broken tibia, broken arm, broken scapula… they did a hell of a lot of damage to you, kid.”

“When can I go home?”

Tony snorted. “Not any time soon, Rogers. You’re gonna be stuck in here a while.”

“But Bucky…”

“I’ve messaged him. He says he’ll be here after sundown. I told him to bring some friends just in case those guys decide to go after him too. There’s something else.”

“What?”

Tony looked at his hands. “There’s some damage to your spine. They’re not sure how extensive it is.”

“But I can move my toes fine!”

“Yeah, but there’s some kind of bone that’s almost pressing on your spinal cord. If it shifts half an inch you’re gonna lose the ability to walk. They’re taking you into surgery in an hour.”

“What are my chances?”

Tony took a deep breath. “The doc says pretty good. They’ve flown in one of the best surgeons. You should be right as rain by the time your loverboy gets here.”

Steve nodded. “Tony, if I don’t make it out…”

“Steve…”

“If I don’t make it out, take care of Bucky for me? And let him know that… that I loved him. So much. And I’m sorry I never got the chance to say it.”

Tony sighed. “Tell him yourself when you’re out of surgery, okay?”

“I know, but…”

“But I’ll keep that in mind. Okay?”

Steve squeezed Tony’s hand, trying not to let the tears fall. “Thanks.”

***

The surgery was a blur of activity, and following instructions to keep moving his toes just in case. It was a local anaesthetic—they wanted to make sure they weren’t accidentally hitting anything they shouldn’t. After a few hours—the longest few hours of Steve’s life—the surgeon came into his eye line and smiled. 

“Well, Mr Rogers, I believe that the operation was a great success. No lasting damage to your spine, and you should be up on your feet soon.”

Steve heaved a sigh of relief. “Thanks. Thank you so much.”

“My pleasure. Now, we’re going to take you to recovery for a little while to keep an eye on you before we send you back to your room, okay?”

Steve nodded, and felt his eyes drifting closed as he was wheeled through to the recovery room. 

***

By the time he awoke, he was back in his room and it was dark. He looked over to his left at a soft sound, and saw Bucky sitting next to him, head bowed.

“Bucky?”

Bucky lifted his head, looking miserable. “Steve, oh god, I’m so sorry.”

“Bucky, what are you talking about? What could you possibly be sorry for?”

“It’s my fault. If you hadn’t been with me, if they hadn’t printed those headlines about you, then none of this would have happened.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Steve said through gritted teeth. “This was no more your fault than it was mine. Those assholes are to blame. Not you.”

Bucky’s head dropped. “Still.”

“No. I won’t let you feel guilty about this. If I hadn’t wanted you with me, I would never have agreed to any of this in the first place. You hardly held me at gunpoint. I made my own decision and, given the choice, would make the same one again.”

Bucky reached over and grabbed Steve’s hand, squeezing it. “There are things that need to be said, when you come home.” 

Steve’s mouth went dry and his heart thudded in his chest. “Oh?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotta go right now, but I’ll be waiting for you.” Bucky leaned over, pressing a soft kiss against Steve’s mouth. Then he was gone, and Steve fell back into an uneasy slumber.

***

It was a week before they let him out. Bucky hadn’t visited again, to Steve’s knowledge. Then again, he had been on sleeping pills, so he wouldn’t have known if Bucky had been there. 

Tony and Pepper helped him home, and up in the elevator to his apartment. When they got there, Bucky was sound asleep in Steve’s bed, wearing one of Steve’s t-shirts. Tony helped Steve put on some pajamas over his various casts, and smiled. 

“You know where we are if you need us,” he whispered, and Steve nodded, already turning towards Bucky as his friends left. 

Looking at Bucky’s beautiful face in sleep, Steve wondered if the decision had been already made for him by his subconscious before he’d even had a chance to think it over. There was one other person he needed to speak to in private before he discussed it with Bucky, though. 

***

Steve woke during the night to see Bucky lying beside him, watching him. 

“You need anything?” Bucky asked, and Steve nodded. 

“A drink and painkillers, please?”

Bucky nodded and got up, and Steve immediately picked up his phone, dialing Tony.

“ _Steve? Whassit? It’s like one a.m.?_ ”

Steve took a deep breath, and told Tony his decision. Tony sighed down the phone. 

“ _I figured as much. We’ll work around everything. It’ll be fine. You’re not gonna lose me that easy._ ”

Steve felt himself well up. “You know I love you, man, right?”

“ _Yeah, I know. Love you too, Steve._ ”

He ended the call as Bucky came back into the room. Steve took the painkillers with the water, and settled back down onto the pillows. 

“You said we need to talk?”

Bucky nodded. “I don’t want to be your sugarbaby any more.”

Steve’s heart sank. “I don’t understand. You’re leaving me?”

“I’d rather not, but maybe I could stay here as your boyfriend?” Bucky’s expression was open, but there was a fear in his eyes. 

“Bucky…”

“I love you,” Bucky said quickly. “I don’t think I realized how much until I nearly lost you, and then it was all I could think about. I know it hasn’t been that long that we’ve known each other, but you learn, when you’ve lived as long as I have, that this kind of thing can happen in a heartbeat. And I do love you, more than I’ve ever loved anyone in nearly four hundred years.”

“Bucky,” Steve said, laughing. “I love you too. So much. I’ve been falling for you since we first met.”

“Really?” The fear had been replaced with joy, and Steve nodded.

“Yeah. In fact…” He took a deep breath. “In fact, I want to spend forever with you, if you don’t mind.”

“I’ll be with you as long as you want,” Bucky promised.

“No, I mean… I want to be with you _forever_.”

Bucky looked at him in confusion, then understanding dawned and his eyes widened. 

“Steve… are you sure this is what you want?”

Steve nodded. “I’ve never wanted anything more. I want you to turn me, make me a vampire, so we never have to be apart again. We can fight against the prejudice together, and Tony has already said we’ll work something out. Even if I only go into the office at night to work, it’s fine. Or I can work from home during the day. We’ll set up the office properly and people can come here for meetings. I don’t care. I want this.”

Bucky cupped Steve’s cheek. “When?”

“I’ve gotta get some stuff in order first,” Steve said. “Like getting those blackout curtains in every room. But after that? Whenever you want, baby. Whenever you want.”

Bucky kissed him deeply. “God, I love you so much, Steve.”

“I love you too.”

They lay together, limbs tangled and trading breathless kisses, until Steve couldn’t tell where he ended and Bucky began. And he knew, for certain, that this was love.


End file.
